Photo of a large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, with island and white benchtop.

Mesta Park Historic Home Remodel

Design Directions

Design ideas for a small traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Oklahoma City with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Dalston Victorian House

Emilie Fournet Interiors

The open plan kitchen with a central moveable island is the perfect place to socialise. With a mix of wooden and zinc worktops, the shaker kitchen in grey tones sits comfortably next to exposed brick works of the chimney breast. The original features of the restored cornicing and floorboards work well with the Smeg fridge and the vintage French dresser.

Boho Minimalist Home

Veronica Sanders, Allied ASID

This 3,569-square foot, 3-story new build was part of Dallas's Green Build Program. This minimalist rocker pad boasts beautiful energy efficiency, painted brick, wood beams and serves as the perfect backdrop to Dallas' favorite landmarks near popular attractions, like White Rock Lake and Deep Ellum; a melting pot of art, music, and nature. Walk into this home and you're greeted with industrial accents and minimal Mid-Century Modern flair. Expansive windows flood the open-floor plan living room/dining area in light. The homeowner wanted a pristine space that reflects his love of alternative rock bands. To bring this into his new digs, all the walls were painted white and we added pops of bold colors through custom-framed band posters, paired with velvet accents, vintage-inspired patterns, and jute fabrics. A modern take on hippie style with masculine appeal. A gleaming example of how eclectic-chic living can have a place in your modern abode, showcased by nature, music memorabilia and bluesy hues. The bedroom is a masterpiece of contrast. The dark hued walls contrast with the room's luxurious velvet cognac bed. Fluted mid-century furniture is found alongside metal and wood accents with greenery, which help to create an opulent, welcoming atmosphere for this home. “When people come to my home, the first thing they say is that it looks like a magazine! As nice as it looks, it is inviting and comfortable and we use it. I enjoyed the entire process working with Veronica and her team. I am 100% sure that I will use them again and highly recommend them to anyone." Tucker M., Client Designer: @designwithronnie Architect: @mparkerdesign Photography: @mattigreshaminteriors

Waterfront Home

Joni Spear Interior Design

The kitchen island painted in Sherwin Williams, ""Navel", boldly contrasts the stark white perimeter cabinets. By eliminating the formal dining room, we were able to incorporate a pantry and home office.

Bespoke Kitchens - Traditional Shaker

Kettle Co Kitchens

This handmade traditional shaker-style kitchen offers immense tranquillity with its soothing white cabinetry being paired with lighter accents such as Caesarstone quartz worktops and silver cup handles and knobs. This colour palette contrasts beautifully with the natural stone structure of the property.

Bold and traditional

Coveted Interiors

Fun Transitional kitchen. Marries the bold custom blue lower cabinets with the traditional white upper cabinets. Gorgeous brass accents tie both colors in together. The subway tile lends to a more modern theme while the marble stone material adds to the timelessness of the space.

Coastal Kitchen Remodel | West Jordan, Utah

Dwellify

After living in this home for six years, this family decided it was time to upgrade their kitchen. With three young, but growing boys, the home was in need of a more functional layout, additional countertop space, and lots more storage. The result?... A kitchen that will be the heart of their home for years to come.

Marvelous Marietta Kitchen Remodel

Haggard Home Cabinetry & Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Ft. Mitchell Historic Home Kitchen

Legacy Builders Group

This kitchen was relocated in this 1800s farmhouse. Existing fireplace was retrofitted and turned into double sided fireplace for the new great room addition. Legacy cut and removed a portion of the existing stone and firebrick to create a see-through fireplace • New cedar mantle on the great room side of the fireplace • New farmhouse sink to keep the feel of the original 1800s farmhouse • New custom bench seat in breakfast area and added a boxed-out window • Solid timber beams in the great room • Wood hood in kitchen • Commercial gas cooktop • Cabinets go all the way to the ceiling

Shore Acres we Are Here

Studio Dearborn

A young family moving from Brooklyn to their first house spied this classic 1920s colonial and decided to call it their new home. The elderly former owner hadn’t updated the home in decades, and a cramped, dated kitchen begged for a refresh. Designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn helped her client design a new kitchen layout, while Virginia Picciolo of Marsella Knoetgren designed the enlarged kitchen space by stealing a little room from the adjacent dining room. A palette of warm gray and nearly black cabinets mix with marble countertops and zellige clay tiles to make a welcoming, warm space that is in perfect harmony with the rest of the home. Photos Adam Macchia. For more information, you may visit our website at www.studiodearborn.com or email us at info@studiodearborn.com.

Beverly Road Project

Cameron Getter Design

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Wood Farmhouse Kitchen | Kimball Starr Interior Design

Kimball Starr Interior Design

Modern farmhouse kitchen featuring white ceiling and white cabinetry accented with blue ceramic backsplash tiles, a white farmhouse kitchen sink, black drawer pulls and handles, lucite and metal counter seating, stainless steel appliances, and glass dewdrop-shaped pendant lights against a backdrop of cedar wood walls, and hardwood flooring.

The Sunset Reno

Knight Custom Homes

You would hardly guess that this bungalow was all sorts of boring brown before we got our hands on it! With a classic blend of blue and white cabinetry in the kitchen and gorgeous warm handmade tile accents, the interior view of this home is now just as beautiful as it’s stunning views of the Rocky Mountains. Changing the corner door to the pantry was a game changer in bringing this kitchen back up to date - be sure to see the before photos on Instagram!

Beautiful Natural Kitchen with White Island- Hampton

Bearded Builders, Baltimore

What was a small enclosed kitchen is now a large, open kitchen with plenty of space and lots of natural light.
Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Baltimore with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Thames Ditton Painted Shaker Kitchen

Higham Furniture

A beautiful bright kitchen with a large island. This kitchen has a stainless steel Rangemaster cooker, a Fisher & Paykel fridge freezer, and a Belfast sink on the island. The cupboards are painted in Little Greene French Grey and the island is in Scree.

Walnut New Construction

Fiorella Design, LLC

Large country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with marble benchtops, medium hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured benchtop, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances and ceramic splashback.

Linden Scandinavian

Rosy Alexander Interior Design

Design ideas for a modern l-shaped kitchen in Raleigh with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, yellow floor, black benchtop and vaulted.

California Casual White Oaks Kitchen

Studio Haven Interiors

This kitchen was updated to reflect a light and airy mixed wood and paint, family eat-in style island. Inset cabinets paired with quart countertops and herringbone natural stone backsplash.

Rosedale Ave Whole House Remodel

Jordan Design-Build Group

Our renovation of a 1930's bungalow focused on opening up the kitchen/dining/living areas to improve flow and connectivity between the spaces. The rustic reclaimed beams help delineate the spaces visually and add texture and warmth. The original white oak floors were refinished with a custom stain to evoke the wood’s natural raw state. We brought color into the space with the ‘blue spruce’ base cabinets and a custom reclaimed island top. The Calacatta gold quartz countertops, hexagon backsplash, and white upper cabinets keep the space feeling light and bright.

Kitchen with Shaker Cabinets and with Island Design Ideas

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to planning your kitchen design. Where do you even start? Gathering some inspiration in a photo gallery is always a good starting point, as looking at different kitchen designs often brings up ideas you haven’t even thought of yet.

Browse Photos of Kitchen Designs for Inspiration and Collect Your Ideas

You can browse through photos of all kinds of kitchen styles, layouts and sizes on Houzz to get started before jumping into any design software or contacting a local professional for help. Here’s a few considerations to keep in mind when planning your kitchen.

1. What Makes a Good Kitchen Design, and Why is it Important?

For starters, you want to find a balance between aesthetics and function. You may have heard of the ‘kitchen work triangle’, which refers to the space between your fridge, sink and stove. You want everything within easy reach when you’re working in the kitchen and look beautiful at the same time. It’s a good idea to take note of both when browsing our photo gallery.

2. Consider Your Space to Determine Your Kitchen Layout

Firstly, consider the space you have, and the limitations that come with it. Do you have a small kitchen and need to maximise your workspace and storage? Can you allow yourself some more space and a big island with seating? Are you designing your kitchen from scratch or renovating an existing design? Which appliances do you already own and what are their measurements? Are there windows you need to take into consideration when planning cabinets? How do kitchen, living and dining areas connect? Depending on your space and needs, you want to use a shape that suits you. U, G, or L-shaped kitchen, with or without island or peninsula? Know your dimensions, plan cabinetry carefully and consider the placement of your appliances. You don’t want to end up with a finished design, only for your significant other to question where the fridge is supposed to go. Consider from the start where your fridge, oven, microwave and sink goes to save yourself from starting again from scratch - remember the kitchen work triangle! You also want to plan the layout of your cabinets. Maybe you’re planning for a pantry and can do with less storage space in your kitchen, so that your design can be one without upper or lower cabinets for a different look. A corner cabinet can be a smart storage solution if you want to keep the look clean and simple.

3. Decide on a Kitchen Style, But Don’t Forget Practicality

You want the style of your kitchen to reflect your personality and taste. We have curated a large array of kitchen styles here at Houzz, from traditional to contemporary to transitional and everything in between. Consider what your cooking style is for a start - Italy is known for its cuisine, so italian kitchen designs are generally popular. Also consider ergonomics - depending on how much time you spend in your kitchen, the height of your counters can make a big difference to your overall health. You also want to consider colour and finishes of cabinets, countertops and splashbacks. Which colour do you want your cupboards to be? Simple, timeless white or rather making a statement in black? Maybe rather a rustic wood? Also consider the colour of your floor - if you have dark floors, you may want to keep cabinets lighter. You could also go for an all-white look and choose black appliances for contrast. Once you know which style you fancy, don’t forget how you will be using the space. You want to keep cooking in mind, as well as how easy to clean and maintain the space will be. How many cooks do you need to accommodate? Do you have kids around? How much storage do you need? Maybe you want to go for open shelves rather than cabinets and allow for easy reach of key items you use when cooking. Again - remember the triangle! Lastly, choose lighting that both enhances the look of your kitchen as well as your cooking performance, providing light in all the right places.

4. Be Conscious of Your Budget

No matter what you plan for your kitchen design, cost is always a big factor. Be sure to plan with your budget in mind. It may make more sense to go for a modular kitchen design rather than custom build. You can save a lot of money if you get at least 3 estimates from professionals before locking in the job. And don’t forget to allow a 20% buffer for emergencies. Once you are ready to hire a pro, our directory will help you find one, no matter where you are. So whether you're looking for an Interior Designer in Melbourne or an Architect in Sydney, you can be sure to find a qualified expert for the job!